>> 3. Yet another thing (I sent this some time ago to the pdfdtex list,
>> but because I didn't know about this list and thought that the other was
>> the one discussing the extensions to TeX. This is the place where this
>> message belongs to. Sorry to those who will read it twice): An
>> intermediate scope of assignment, between \local and \global. The idea
>> is that the assignment be still in force in the innermost group that
>> encloses that which we are in. For example, if the primitive is to be
>> named \regional,
>> ...
>> for a long time we've been thinking of a feature like that, where
> results can be carried over one (or more groups); it has a low priority
> but it's definitely on the agenda (has even been prototyped by taco a
> couple of years ago)
The implementation is a bit complicated because of the way tex stores
values on the save stack, which is why I never passed the prototype
stage. But I still like this idea, and \regional is a good name. I will
get back at this in the not-too-distant future, I hope.
>>> 4. Just one more. The todo list includes "A way to (re?)calculate
>> the width of a \vbox, taking only the natural width of the included
>> items into account". What about the depth of a \hbox where items have
>> been raised? Try
>>>> \setbox0\hbox{\raise 10pt\hbox{a}}. \showthe\dp0
Yes, that problem is very similar.
Best wishes,
Taco